Historic choice: Murphy nominates Sikh-American to be attorney general

Governor-elect Phil Murphy has nominated Gurbir Grewal, the Bergen County Prosecutor, to serve as the attorney general of New Jersey.

If confirmed, Grewal would be the first Sikh-American to serve as attorney general in the history of the United States.

“New Jersey needs an attorney general with a steel backbone, one that will stand up for New Jersey against everything coming our way from Washington,” Governor-elect Murphy said. “Whether it be addressing our opioid epidemic head-on with compassion and persistence, fighting to protect New Jerseyans’ health care against the constant threats from Washington, standing up for Dreamersers and our LGBT community, or defending New Jersey’s common-sense gun laws, there will be no more critical post in my administration than Attorney General. For these reasons and many more, I am incredibly proud to announce my nomination of Gurbir Grewal as attorney general.”

A graduate of Georgetown University and the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary, Grewal is also a former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey and the Eastern District of New York. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey, he served as the chief of the economic crimes unit from 2014 to 2016 and oversaw the investigation and prosecution of all major white collar and cyber crimes in the District of New Jersey. He has served as Bergen County’s chief law enforcement officer since his appointment as acting prosecutor in January 2016. He was later confirmed by the Senate and sworn into office in November of 2016. He is a native of Bergen County, and currently resides in Glen Rock with his wife, Amrit, and their three daughters.

“I am honored to be nominated by Governor-elect Murphy to serve as Attorney General,” Grewal said. “All my life, I’ve shared Governor-elect Murphy’s goal of building a fairer New Jersey. To me, that means protecting the rights of every resident under the law, and defending the values of our diverse communities. I look forward to helping Governor-elect Murphy make his vision for New Jersey a reality.”

Sim Singh, Sikh Coalition national advocacy manager, said the nomination is another landmark moment for the Sikh-American community. “While breaking down barriers for the next generation of Sikh leaders, he is reminding all Americans that diversity is our nation’s greatest strength,” he said.

State Senator Loretta Weinberg said she is looking forward to having the opportunity to interview Grewal for this most important position in Murphy’s administration. She said he has been a terrific prosecutor in Bergen County.